Simply Knowing
by Keiki ElfChild
Summary: Time has passed, and things have changed...and Heero needs a bit of help telling Relena how he feels. “I know Heero loves her. Have you even seen the way he looks at Relena? I just think he needs a little push...and I think it’s our job to do it.”


Title: Simply Knowing

Author: Keiki ElfChild

Pairings: HYxRP

Rated: PG

Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing. I have no association with anyone even remotely associated with Gundam Wing. I'm just an obsessed fanatic. Heh heh. ^__~

Author's Notes: Well, I've had several attempts at fanfiction, but this is the first I actually have the perseverance to really work on. Comments are appreciated! ^__^ Well, it's pretty much a typical Gundam-Gang-try-to-set-Heero-and-Relena-up kind of story, though I hope it'll have a bit of the ElfChild touch to make it a little more unique. I think it's cute, it's fluffy, and hopefully you guys will like it! Lots of love, and enjoy! ^__^

Heero leaned silently on a tree, his arms crossed and his eyes soft. He seemed to have lost himself in oblivion...or perhaps bliss. Well, wherever he was, it was someplace where the smell of roses and freshly mowed grass was intensified, making his nose tingle pleasantly. The sun shone brighter, the sky was clearer, and the day was as good as it could ever be. In his little world, people seemed to have obtained the ability to glow, though he couldn't really speak generally for he has been staring at no one else other than a single female individual sprawled cutely upon the grass. 

Her fair skin shone in the afternoon sunlight and her golden brown tresses floated in the light summer breeze. Her sundress was white and loose, and had little sunflowers all over it. Laying on her stomach, she had her elbow propped up and a hand twirling a lock of her hair. Her bare feet dangled in the air as she read quietly from a book opened up in front of her. Her pink lips were pulled up into a sweet, unconscious smile that made Heero's heart melt.

Heero blinked, and laughed to himself. He changed so much in the last two and a half years. After the Mariemaea incident, he went off to space to the various colonies to find his humanity. But he did it without even saying good bye, or telling anyone. He avoided all contact with his friends besides that one time on Relena's seventeenth birthday when he had Duo give her a teddy bear. A year after that, he appeared quite suddenly (and quite a bit hesitantly) at Relena's 18th birthday, where he was surprised to see everyone absolutely overjoyed to see him. He expected at least a bit of bitterness and unfamiliarity, but he found none of either. The moment he walked in the door they jumped up and, screaming hysterically, glomped him. Then he made them all nearly faint when he laughed at them. He saw Relena glow with pride, and he vowed never to disappoint her. Now, three months later, it was as if they've known each other all their lives. Of course, Heero was still quite a bit secretive and quiet, but he had lost that murderous look about him. 

"Heero?" a voice called. Heero turned and smiled at the source of the soft voice. He uncrossed his arms and walked over to Relena, who had sat up and closed her book. He plopped down next to her, his legs crossed Indian style and a smile on his face. 

"You seemed lost in thought," she murmured, her eyes a bit concerned. "Is there something wrong?"

"No. Just thinking," Heero answered lightly, his stomach turning a cartwheel. Whenever he was even on the other side of a large room from her, he always felt short of breath and light headed. 

"You sure?" she insisted, and suddenly she leaned almost disturbingly close and looked into his eyes. Heero found his ears turning hot, and broke their eye contact.

"I'm fine."

"Hmm," she said, and leaned back. "If you're sure. If you need to talk about anything--"

"--I'll come to you. I know."

Relena smiled at him, and stood up, glancing at her silver wristwatch. "It's almost five. I promised to make dinner."

"Really?" Heero said, raising himself up. "Are you making a pie?"

Relena laughed, a soft, adorable laugh. "Duo wouldn't have it any other way." Then, her eyes widened, and she exclaimed, mockingly, "Heero! How did you get so tall?!"

Heero glanced at her and grinned. She was such a tease. Two years ago, all of them were almost the same height (except for Trowa, who had always been taller than everyone else) and now the boys were about a head taller than the girls, especially Relena. She had proven to be of shorter stature than the rest of them. And thus she received a whole lot of teasing from the group, who might as well have been her older brothers and sisters. 

"I'm not tall," Heero answered, walking away. Then he looked over her shoulder and smirked, "You're just short."

He looked away after seeing Relena's incredulous face, and laughingly began to run. He heard her running after him calling, "Oh, I'll get you!" and thus began a chase that Relena was sorely losing. 

*******************

Almost an hour later, Relena was standing in her enormous kitchen bringing the soup she was making to a boil. Hilde Schebeiker was right beside her, diligently tossing a salad. Catherine was pulling china from one of the cupboards and carefully bringing them to the large, rectangular dinner table just outside. Duo was sitting at the round kitchen table, watching Hilde work. Though if you looked closer you'd see his eyes dart occasionally to the oven next to Relena, where three enormous blueberry pies were happily baking. 

Next to him sat Heero, who watched Relena's every move and followed her with his eyes as she traveled back and forth through the kitchen. He loved the way she walked, the way she talked, the way she would wipe her brow with the back of her hand after standing at the stove for some time. He loved the way she handled things, so soft and graceful. 

"Have you told her yet?"

Heero blinked, then turned to Duo. "What?"

Duo smirked at him, resting his elbow on the back of the chair. "Have you told her you loved her?" He said it softly, so only Heero could hear.

"I don't--"

"Don't give me that crap, Heero. I know you do. In fact, I bet everyone in the universe does, except for two people. One of them's you, and the other one's Relena. And maybe Zechs over there, but it's either he doesn't know or he's in denial."

"Hn." Heero honestly didn't know what else to say to that.

"So you're telling me that that kiss you gave her on that abandoned colony was worthless after all?"

Heero's head shot up, and he glared at Duo. "How did you find out about that?"

Duo shook his head, exasperated. "Listen, man, you have to tell her. Soon. Because as much as she loves you, she's not going to wait forever. You're going to wake up one day and find out that you've lost her to another man. And you know what Heero? You'll never get her back. I don't want to see you two hurt."

At that, Duo stood up and walked right up to Hilde. He wrapped his arms around her from behind and hugged her tight. 

"Duo, what's wrong?" 

"Nothing, Hil. Just wanted to say I love you."

Hilde smiled, and gave him a small kiss on the nose. Catherine and Relena looked away tactfully, smiling. They were so mushy.

Heero was left to brood. It was true. Before, Relena always gave him one extra smile than she would the others. Or sometimes it was a longer hug, or a special look. But now, she was almost shy. She was still one of his very best friends, but that was all they were now. It was as if she had finally decided that he really didn't love her...

Heero stood up abruptly, his fists clenched at his sides and his mouth in grim line. The chair scratched the tile floor as it moved back with an ear-splitting screech.

The other four turned quickly, looking at him with questioning eyes. 

"Heero?" There it was, that voice so filled with kindness and sympathy. "Is something wrong?"

"No," he answered, his voice harsher than he wanted it to be. "I'm going outside to...to get some air. I'll be back in time for dinner."

"Would you like me to come with you? I could, if you want."

"No! I mean, no. That's fine. I just want to be alone. For...for a moment."

"Um, ok. If you're sure..."

"Yeah." And at that, Heero turned and walked out the door. 

*****************************

Relena sighed. 'He doesn't love you,' she thought. 'Just admit it! You're wasting your time on him...'

Relena bit her lip, and turned her attention to Hilde and Duo, who were whispering into each others' ears and giggling. Relena shook her head, wishing that she had someone to share something like that with...

"Earth to Lena, earth to Lena, hello?"

Relena snapped out of her thoughts and nodded at Dorothy, who was wildly waving a hand in front of her face. "Yes?"

"I _said_, for the hundredth time, can I help you set the table?" 

Relena grinned at her, and pointed to the roast turkey sitting on the counter. "Can you put that there?"

Dorothy rolled her eyes and grinned. "You really love bossing me around don't you?"

Relena smiled innocently and said, "Of course not!"

Relena watched as Dorothy carried the enormous roasted bird down the hall and onto the table, where Quatre hurried over to help her. 

The rest of the gang were sitting in the living room, watching some sort of game show. Trowa and Mariemaeia were sitting on the floor in front of the cream-colored couch, where Lucrezia Noin and Milliardo were sprawled carelessly. Sally was prodding Wufei on the shoulder, saying something that apparently annoyed the heck out of him, for he was scowling and had his arms crossed. Lady Une was laughing, her thin shoulder shaking. Relena smiled, feeling herself warm up at the thought of her friends and family. Relena had kept in touch with everyone, except her brother and Heero, during the time right after the Mariemaeia incident. Lady Une had diligently worked on giving Mariemaeia her childhood back, and now she was as normal a kid as she could possibly be. Trowa and Catherine, as much as they traveled, made sure that they and Relena kept in contact, and Relena was often seen at their circus shows when they ended up in the same colony. Hilde and Duo, the bubbliest of the bunch, were still happily living together and working in their junkyard/repair shop. Quatre was given the option of running his father's colony, but he refused and the leadership was given to his eldest sister Iria. Instead he took up a bit of politics for a while, and sometimes accompanied Relena on some of her Peace Trips. Dorothy had become a sort of wanderer, travelling here and there. She had to get rid of her demons, and Relena invited her to come stay with her, as her house was big enough to hold all of them. Sally and Wufei still worked full time for the Preventers, and the gundam boys would sometimes help with missions when their schedules allowed. Milliardo and Noin returned from Mars a few months after the Incident, and were now living with Relena, who bought a bigger house the moment she heard they were coming. She was absolutely thrilled, as she (and Milliardo) wished for them to become the family they had been deprived all their lives. Relena resigned from her position as Vice Foreign Minister the day before her 18th birthday, and took up some private schooling with the rest of the gang. She promised herself and the universe that she would take up her position once again someday in the far future...but now she was intent of getting a new, normal life, which is really a bit hard for she is now treated as some sort of celebrity.

Relena poured the soup into a much more attractive serving bowl, and brought it to Dorothy's waiting arms. She told Duo off for attempting a peek at the blueberry pies and told Hilde to bring the salad to the table. Duo took the mashed potatoes and gravy, and haphazardly skipped out of the kitchen, whistling all the while. She herself carried the bowl of steamed vegetables out onto the dinner table, calling everyone for dinner. At that same moment Heero walked into the house, his face relaxed and no longer quite glum. 

"There you are, man!" Duo called to him, bringing an arm around to pat Heero on the back. "Just in time."

Heero nodded, and uttered an almost unintelligible "Hn."

And everyone sat down to enjoy a peaceful meal at the Peacecrafts. 

**************************

Heero was standing in the balcony brooding when Relena found him early the next morning. She was still in her sleeveless nightgown, and Heero couldn't help but stare. But that went unnoticed as she sighed and looked away from him.

"Relena? What's wrong?" _What did I do to upset you?_

"No, no," she said, shaking her blond head. "I'm supposed to ask you that. I know there's something going on, and I can help you. But I can't do anything if you don't tell me what's bothering you.."

Heero shook his head. _Can you give me the courage to finally tell you how I feel about you? _"It's nothing," he said instead. 

Relena looked hurt for a moment, then gave him a comforting smile. "If you're sure," she said cheerfully before she turned and walked away. 

Heero stared after her, his mouth pulled in a grim line. 

**************************

Later that day, Heero was sitting in the living room watching Trowa and Quatre play chess. He was already calculating strategies even before either of the boys had begun their move. His strategic and military genius had obviously not been lost. 

Wufei was quietly meditating on a large cushion by the window, his legs crossed Indian-style and his elbows propped up on his knees. He was taking deep breaths and murmuring words under his breath.

The girls were out grocery shopping and Zechs, Noin, and Lady Une took a drive somewhere, so the five boys were left in the house to amuse themselves.

"Did you tell her yet?" came Duo's voice as he came walking in from the kitchen. 

Heero gave him a glare, and looked away. "Dunno what you're talking about." Duo has been pestering him lately, and it's been getting on his nerves. He stood up and walked out of the room, his hands in his pocket and his head tilted towards the floor.

Duo stared at his retreating back, then turned to the boys with a mischievous gleam in his violet eyes.

Wufei unfolded himself and sighed. "Don't get into trouble, Duo."

Duo shook off Wufei's warning with a wave of his hand, and sat with his hands behind his head. "I know Heero loves her. Have you even seen the way he looks at Relena? I just think he needs a little push...and I think it's our job to do it."

Quatre looked slightly worried, but eager. "You have a plan?" 

Duo just grinned. "Sure do, Q-man."

***************************

Sooo, what do you think?? Please please comment! Lotz of love! *hugs*

Love, Keiki ElfChild


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